The Meat Grinder

It's State Championship Weekend! The matchups are set. The annual CIAC championship has been conducted and the title venues —— Central Connecticut State's Arute Field and University of Connecticut's Rentschler Field —— are ready to host Saturday's six championship games.

Join hosts Pete Paguaga and Sean Patrick Bowley has they talk about the weekend ahead, preview the games and pick who they believe will win the six state championships.

Join us, won't you?

Be sure to also check out the live action version of the show on YouTube.

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After a competitive and ofen surprising round of 24 state quarterfinal games, we've reached the final four of the 2022 Connecticut high school football season. That is, it's the final four in six state championship divisions, or the final 12.

Welcome to yet another very special Meat Grinder / Pick'ems Podcast crossover show, in which hosts Pete Paguaga and Sean Patrick Bowley look back at the eventful 24 quarterfinal games and look ahead to Sunday's semifinals, from Class S all the way up the chain to Class LL and then back again.

So join us, won't you?

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Welcome to the Annual Turkey Wrap Episode of the Meat Grinder, our look back at all the thrills, chills and spills and clean up after the Thanksgiving Week regular season finale.

Despite the CIAC's best efforts to dilute the playoffs to the point where only 11 of 48 playoff spots were up-for-grabs heading into the week (and a mere seven on Thanksgiving Day), the contenders and rivals still managed to give their fans a show as they vied for precious playoff berths.

Sean and Pete take a look back at some of the madness, beginning with Valley Regional/Old Lyme practically begging for table scraps after getting put outside by Rocky Hill's late-announced forfeit win from Week 1 and ending with Cheshire coach Don Drust pacing across the Maclary Complex praying his team had enough to squeak in over Darien after a tough loss to Southington in the Apple Valley Classic.

There was also an incident where internet star Logan Paul showed up in Milford and somehow got upstaged by Law's John Neider.

PLUS! It's another crossover episode with the Pick'ems Podcast, in which Pete and Sean attempt to pick the winners of Tuesday's 24 state quarterfinal games.

So join us, won't you?

The RUNDOWN:

00:00 - Opening Montage - Push for the Playoffs

2:29 - The Turkey Wrap I - Tuesday night

6:08 - The Turkey Wrap II - Wednesday night

10:38 - The Turkey Wrap III - Thanksgiving Morning

20:49 - Law’s John Neider upstages Logan Paul in Milford (sort of)

22:42 - Staples beats Greenwich in shootout

26:25 -Pickems Intro / Class S QFs

32:35 - Pickems Class SS QFs

40:00 - Pickems Class M QFs

46:56 - Pickems Class MM

54:47 - Pickems Class L

1:02:40 - Pickems Class LL & Wrapping Up

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It’s Thanksgiving Week! The end of the regular season is upon us, so welcome to a very special episode of BOTH the Meat Grinder AND the Petey Pageviews Pick ‘em Podcast.

That’s right, it’s the WEEK 12 CROSSOVER EPISODE. Like when Family Guy met the Simpsons, or when Phineas and Ferb met the Avengers or Family Matters met Full House (ugh).

In the Meat Grinder portion of the podcast, we take a look at the playoff situation heading into the final week of the regular season.

There are 38 of 48 spots already filled — which has diminished the importance of this week’s matchups, frankly. Regardless, SPB breaks down who needs what to qualify for one of the final 10 spots..

Also, Hartford Public’s 2-1 Friday — including 1-1 on forfeits — has indirectly turned Class SS topsy-turvy.

On the Pick ‘ems Podcast episode, Pete and Sean pick the winners of TWENTY Thanksgiving week games. So we'll see if the contenders can separate from the pretenders.

Here are last week's results: Barker, Bowley, Brechlin and Stewart went 10-0; Fornabaio, McNamee, Morelli and Paguaga went 9-1; Ericson went 7-3 and the 8-Ball went 5-5 again.

And here are the overall standings, Bowley and Fornabaio are tied for first at 79-31; McNamee and Stewart are tied for third at 78-32; Morelli is along in fifth place at 75-35; Barker and Paguaga are tied for sixth at 74-36, Brechlin is eighth at 72-38 and Scott Ericson is ninth at 64-44. The 8-Ball is stuck in .500 at 55-55.

It's s jam-packed episode you just can't afford to miss.

So join us, won't you?

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GameTimeCT producer Pete Paguaga hosts the Connecticut high school football pick'ems show with GameTimeCT producer Sean Patrick Bowley.

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It's a jam-packed, albeit delayed, special episode in which Pete and Sean look back at the thriller at Ken Strong Stadium where unbeaten West Haven survived a spirited comeback against rival Hamden to stay unbeaten, not to mention a number of other wild results from a weatherbeaten Week 10 schedule.

No. 1 Maloney's reign lasts all of one week, thanks to Glastonbury. Could the Westies capture the imagination of the state's Top 10 voters? Or would a former favorite reclaim the top spot?

Also, the Clinch Is In! Twenty-eight teams have unofficially punched their ticked to the state playoffs in this expanded six-championship season. We take a look at which of the remaining 20 spots can be filled in the coming days.

One of the teams desperately needing a victory to get in is 6-3 Windsor, which faces next-door rival Bloomfield in its finale Saturday. It's the first time the two CCC powers have played in more than a decade.

Joining us as a special guest is Windsor coach ROB FLEETING, who two 22-year, two-time state championship coaching career reached the 200-victory milestone last week. Fleet looks back at all the great players and great teams under his charge over the years, plus how his program deals with yearly turnover.

So join us, won't you?

Be sure to check out our LIVE ACTION version on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@gametimect

RUNDOWN:

0:00 — Intro and highlights: No. 4 West Haven beat No. 7 Hamden in 27-23 classic

13:07 — Naugatuck blasts Woodland in monsoon

14:18 — Glastonbury knocks off No. 1 Maloney

16:40 — Latest Top 10 Poll: Southington is No. 1 again??

24:56 — The Playoff Picture: 28 Teams Clinched

28:41 — Bloomfield holds off Platt to clinch; Platt awaits Stoddard Bowl

33:03 — The Playoff Picture: Class L

36:27 — The Playoff Picture: Class MM

39:10 — The Playoff Picture: Class M

40:37 — The Playoff Picture: Class SS

41:47 — The Playoff Picture: Class S

44:30 — Windsor coach ROB FLEETING interview

1:16:38 —2022 Championship Venues Announced

1:24:10 — Wrapping Up

Further Reading:

Latest Top 10 Poll: Southington is No. 1 (again) https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/The-GameTimeCT-Top-10-Football-Poll-Week-11-17583489.php

Inside Week 10 of CIAC Football: Dreaming of math-free playoff scenarios https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/CIAC-football-Week-10-wrap-17569011.php

Week 10 HS Football Scoreboard / Schedule https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/The-Week-11-CT-High-School-Football-Schedule-17583231.php

Reid's last-minute TD catch lifts No. 4 West Haven over Hamden https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/West-Haven-Hamden-football-SCC-CIAC-17579839.php

Bronson, New Milford upset Barlow, stay in Class L playoff race https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/New-Milford-upsets-Joel-Barlow-moves-one-win-17578650.php

Martin, Deitelbaum lead Naugatuck in wipeout of Woodland https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/Martin-Deitelbaum-lead-Naugatuck-in-wipeout-of-17578801.php

Rockville snaps Cromwell-Portland's 22-game winning streak https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/Rockville-football-snaps-Cromwell-Portland-s-17577497.php

Petrone, Glastonbury knock off newly-crowned No. 1 Maloney in OT https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/Glastonbury-upsets-No-1-Maloney-in-CT-football-17576112.php

Fairfield Prep rides defense in defeating No. 10 North Haven https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/Fairfield-Prep-North-Haven-CIAC-football-17574497.php

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GameTimeCT producer Pete Paguaga hosts the Connecticut high school football pick'ems show with GameTimeCT producer Sean Patrick Bowley.

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Welcome back to another episode of The Meat Grinder, your weekly dose of high school football in Connecticut with GameTimeCT's Pete Paguaga and Sean Patrick Bowley.

Now that Maloney has snatched the No. 1 banner away from Southington with its thrilling, 31-28, double overtime victory won on the foot of Josh Scaramuzzo, we turn our attention to Week 10 and another showdown between unbeaten teams.

This time, it'll be No. 4 West Haven (8-0) playing host to No. 7 Hamden (8-0). While it might not pack the punch of No. 1 v. 2, it's an old District League rivalry resumed this year for supremacy in SCC Tier II, not to mention for a possible home game in the upcoming Class LL playoffs.

Joining us this week is, of course, Hamden coach and athletic director Tom Dyer, who has guided Hamden to this recent renaissance of two-consecutive playoff seasons. Dyer, who won a couple of state titles at Hillhouse, talks about his team and what's been behind its 8-0 start.

Dyer, who is also a representative on the CIAC's football committee and the coaches association, also has a say in the makeup of how Connecticut conduct its football playoffs. Naturally, given SPB's distain for the recent six-division expansion, we hear from Tom about the philosophy of the decision.

Plus, with 2 1/2 weeks of games left before the end of the regular season, we delve into the latest CIAC playoff situation.

So join us, won't you?

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GameTimeCT producer Pete Paguaga hosts the Connecticut high school football pick'ems show with GameTimeCT reporter Scott Ericson.

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Welcome back to another thrilling episode of the Meat Grinder, your weekly look at high school football in Connecticut with GameTimeCT's Pete Paguaga and Sean Patrick Bowley.

And it was indeed a thriller on Halloween Weekend, especially up at Pierson Park in Cromwell where Cole Brisson and the Cromwell/Portland football team rallied and then hung on for dear life to win against Di'Angelo Jean-Pierre and Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 28-27. Johnny Beltre tipped away the 2-point pass to extend the defending state champions' 21-game win streak.

Joining us this week is Cromwell/Portland coach Randell Bennett who talks about that game and how he went from an inaugural Cromwell player to a championship head coach in 20 years.

We also take a look at the latest Top 10 poll where, for the third-consecutive season, voters have set up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup when Southington faces Maloney in a CCC battle at Falcon Field in Meriden.

We also break down St. Joseph's defensive win over New Canaan and the latest CIAC playoff point standings. And, finally, we dip into Choate's big 26-15 victory over Loomis Chaffee in a massive NEPSAC battle of unbeatens.

It's a jam-packed episode. So join us, wont you?

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